The Egyptian army has arrested a prominent journalist and human rights advocate, prompting condemnation by human rights groups.

Military intelligence arrested Hossam Bahgat, an investigative journalist and contributor at the local Mada Masr news outlet, on Sunday morning after delivering a summons to his home on Thursday. According to Mada Masr, Bahgat was charged with "publishing false news that harms national interests and disseminating information that disturbs public peace".

Waiting for friend& journalist @hossambahgat to come out of the Military Intelligence building after his summons for interrogation.

Hours later, Bahgat was referred to a military court. He was questioned over an article he published in October about what he called the secret military trial of 26 army officers reportedly plotting a coup.

Since the military overthrow of President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, Egypt has come under fire for cracking down on press freedom.

Al Jazeera journalists Baher Mohamed, Mohamed Fahmy and Peter Greste, along with seven colleagues outside the country, were accused of spreading "false news" in Egypt during their coverage of demonstrations protesting the overthrow.

Greste, Fahmy and Mohamed were given sentences of seven to 10 years. Greste was deported from Egypt in February under a presidential decree. Mohamed and Fahmy, both of Egyptian origin, were freed together following a presidential pardon in September.

The trial and subsequent imprisonment of the Al Jazeera journalists was widely condemned by the United Nations, European Union, and a large number of other countries.